This inter-church lunch takes place on the first Wednesday of every month in 9, Vicars’ Hill at 1:00p.m. Soup, bread and cheese, tea and biscuits are served. All proceeds go to the work of Christian Aid.

Each lunch is preceded by Celtic Prayer at 12:30p.m. in the Cathedral Ladychapel, and all are welcome.

Please note – no lunches during July and August

Dates for Charity lunches in 2014

- None in January

- Wednesday 6th February

- Wednesday 6th March

- Wednesday 3rd April

- Wednesday 1st May

- Wednesday 5th June

- Wednesday 4th September

- Wednesday 2nd October

- Wednesday 6th November

- Wednesday 4th December

I saw a stranger last night.
I put food in the eating place, drink in the drinking place,
music in the listening place
and in the sacred name of the Triune,
He blessed myself and my house, my cattle and my dear ones.
And the lark said in her song,
Often, often, often goes the Christ in the stranger’s guise.
(ancient rune of hospitality used by the Iona Community).

The psychologist and mythologist, Joseph Campbell identified a common theme connecting many ‘indigenous’ spiritualities – including Celtic Spirituality. Their stories tell about the hero or heroine who is ‘called’ outwards from the familiar place to experience something completely new. These stories teach us that it requires courage to step outside of the familiar and to follow the call of the heart. This is why it’s ’the Heroic Journey’. This heroic journey has much to teach us about our own life journey. Joseph Campbell said – ‘I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.’

The heroic journey often leads the traveller into difficult and testing situations, but he/she returns from the journey a changed and more compassionate human being to share their gifts of wisdom and insight. The journey is also about the discovery of YOUR GIFT. The word in the Irish is DAN – which means both your poetry and your destiny – for your destiny is interlinked with the practice of your gift in this world. Because we are all individuals, no one can offer your gift to the world in exactly the same way as you can.

This workshop takes us on a personal journey and enables self exploration to uncover your giftedness and to hear ‘the call’ to the most exciting journey of your life – the Heroic Journey.

These classes will be helpful for anyone seeking a deeper spiritual life – especially anyone interested in exploring basic teaching on Christian meditation as a way to finding stillness and meaning in their life.

Meditation is a very powerful aid to inner peace.

This simple practice is based on the teaching of the Benedictine Monk, John Main, who said – ‘The important aim in Christian meditation is to allow God’s mysterious and silent presence within us to become more and more not only a reality but the reality which gives meaning, shape and purpose to everything we do, everything we are.’

John Main’s work is carried on by the World Community for Christian Meditation and its Director FR LAURENCE FREEMAN OSB (www.wccm.org).

If you would be interested in learning more about the practice of Christian Meditation, come along to a class and find out more for yourself. NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME.

Meditation classes take place on alternate Mondays at The Navan Centre, Armagh – from 10.15a.m. to 11.00a.m.

John Main said - “To learn to meditate you have to learn to be silent and not to be afraid of silence…. ..In meditation we cross the threshold from background noise into silence. This is vital for us because silence is necessary if the human spirit is to thrive and to be creative. Silence releases a creative response to life, to our environment and friends because it gives our spirit room to breathe, room to be. In silence we do not have to justify ourselves, apologise or impress anyone. Just be.”

The Centre for Celtic Spirituality has a small study library at The Navan Centre with books on pilgrimage, Celtic saints, peace and reconciliation, Celtic Prayer and liturgy, Irish history and mythology and much more.

It is particularly useful for anyone on a study experience.

There is no charge to use the library, though donations towards the upkeep of the library and the work of The Centre for Celtic Spirituality are very much appreciated.

To ensure you are able to use the library at the time/date that suits you, contact The Navan Centre on

The Spring quarter of IMBOLC brings the gifts of insight and inspiration and is a time of beginnings and of essential truthfulness.

Begun in the dark and often icy days of early Spring, it is traditionally the time to appreciate innocence, truth and justice, to make resolutions and plans and to prepare for the enfolding year.

In the human growth cycle, Imbolc corresponds to the period of childhood when all things are questioned or enjoyed for their own sake.

Imbolc is a good time to celebrate the lives of all ‘soul mid-wives’, who have taught and prepared us, all who have been upholders of justice and truth, all holy ones who have gone to the heart of the matter with great clarity and insight.

Activities for IMBOLC/SPRING

Practice your craft/Art/Skill with dedication, drawing on the inspiration of your heart.

Clarify your life by sping-cleaning surroundings and lifestyle. Check and reassess your aims and objectives in life. Bring into focus your plans for the unfolding year.

In this burgeoning season of life, meet up with your spiritual kindred and soul-friends whenever possible for mutual encouragement and fun.

Be active, with like-minded others, in recording, preserving, living and learning about the ancient wisdom of indigenous peoples, especially those in your own land.

Cut back old growth in the garden and compost it. Dig over the soil in preparation for Spring’s planting. Plant flowers and vegetables for Summer and Autumn.

Create an outdoor prayer-shrine – or if you live in the city, befriend a tree in a park or find a place where you can go regularly to pray/meditate outdoors.

Be active, with like-minded others, in defending human rights, world ecology or local issues to protect the environment.

As you travel through the land of Spring, relate your spiritual journey to the unfolding beauty of this season.

(From Celtic Devotional, by Caitlin Matthews, published by Gill and Macmillan, 1996)

St Bronagh’s School of Celtic Studies are facilitating an 8-day pilgrimage from 25th August to 1st September 2015 to Santiago De Compostela, major pilgrimage site in Spain. The cost is £899 (Euros) , fully inclusive. The tour will be accompanied by a Spiritual Director.

This Six part study course is available to order as a PDF document.
It is written as a simple introduction to six themes of Celtic Christian Spirituality – Creation, Hospitality, A Way of Living, Creative Spirituality, Pilgrimage and The Other World.
Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion and reflection – for individuals or for group discussion and action.

This introduction will be useful for anyone seeking basic information about Celtic Spirituality, anyone preparing for a pilgrimage journey, groups seeking new material for study and anyone who wants to be inspired in new ways of living. It also contains a section on further resources for reading and for further study.

“May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.”HOW DO I ORDER IT?

1. Go the web-page marked ‘Donate.’

2. Click on the ‘Donate’ button at the bottom of the page.

3. Send £15 to The Centre for Celtic Spirituality via PayPal. This money will go towards the work of The Centre, which is both non-profit and inter-church with a focus on peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Please also sned an EMail to us at contact@celtic-spirituality.net This will ensure that we have your EMail address so that we can then send you the PDF document.

4. When we receive your payment, we will send you your own copy of Sacred Living: Practical Inspirations for the contemporary Spiritual Journey as a PDF document to download. You also have the author’s permission to make copies for your own use, individually or in group situations such a small study groups. (However, please note that this work is copy-righted and cannot be re-sold for commercial gain).

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WE HOPE YOU WILL FIND SACRED LIVING BOTH HELPFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL!

A four week course for Lent will be held in All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, on Tuesday evenings from Tuesday 10th March to Tuesday 31st March starting at 8.30p.m.

Includes:

listening to a talk on meditation, a look at the history of Christian meditation, exploring the benefits of meditation and a period of silent meditation. Suitable for experienced meditators and beginners.

Places are limited and must be booked in advance.

Contact Philomena McQuillan on 07824826051 to book or for further info.

There is no charge, but a small donation towards the use of the room would be appreciated.